Friends … and Shell

“Friends … and Shell,” second-hour U.S. history class began predictably each day.

It wasn’t that Mr. Wesley Miller didn’t consider me a friend. Truth be told, he followed my career longer than I would have guessed.

And when Mr. Miller died in December 2009, I was amazed to learn a column I once wrote about the impact he’d had on my life remained among his keepsakes. It was included in his memorial service.

People like Wesley Miller, Charlene Cannon, Dr. Anna Teague are among my heroes. They inspired me to ask questions, focus on answers and work harder to seek answers.

My initial aspiration was to teach. The secondary education degree is a reminder of what might have been. But along the way to finding answers, I caught the story-telling bug. Journalism has remained my passion. But its roots are in the classroom.

Educators have found themselves brushed with a broad stroke of late.

Politically, it’s chic to declare our education system broken. Poor results on high-stakes tests serve as proof, we’re told.

Compared to other countries, our children are behind the learning curve, we’re reminded again and again.

And, maybe worst of all, we’re told teachers are failing our children.

Finger-pointing is easy, teaching is hard.

Putting the ones of teaching on schools ignores our part as parents in the education process.

It was during student teaching at Mandeville High School that I realized how challenging the job is. Trying daily to engage a class of 25 to 30 teenagers – more than half of whom would rather have been anywhere but in school – is a daunting challenge.

To this day, I marvel at the methods my high school senior’s teachers employ to engage the class.

Friends remind me how fortunate I am to have a high achiever. She applies herself, not wanting to let herself, her teachers or me down. Feeding her hunger for learning is a constant job. But as a parent, I know fostering her learning is an accomplishment we all enjoy.

By being involved in our children’s learning – checking the homework, celebrating the good grades and finding needed tutoring when the results fall short and staying connected to the classroom – our youngsters learn education matters. Only then do we create generations of conscientious children committed to being their best – in the classroom and beyond.

Heady words to some, I’m sure. But partnering in education is the only way we can advance learning. Mr. Miller knew it. Mrs. Cannon lived by it. And Dr. Teague challenged me to continue it.